[RESOLVED] [2005] Parsing xml... I know, I know

[Troy Lundin]

I have an xml file structured thusly:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii" ?>
<signaturelist>
    <signature>
        <name>Final Fantasy VI Advance</name>
        <editor>FFVIAdvance.dll</editor>
        <sram>
            <start>7936</start>
            <length>32</length>
            <string>46494E414C2046414E544153592056492020202020414456414E434520202020</string>
        </sram>
        <vba>
            <start>4</start>
            <length>16</length>
            <string>464636414456414E43450000425A3645</string>
        </vba>
    </signature>
    <signature>
        <name>Castlevania: Circle of the Moon</name>
        <editor>CastlvaniaCotM.dll</editor>
        <sram>
            <start>0</start>
            <length>11</length>
            <string>44524143554C4120414742</string>
        </sram>
        <vba>
            <start>4</start>
            <length>16</length>
            <string>44524143554C41204147423141414D45</string>
        </vba>
    </signature>
</signaturelist>

If the structure is wrong then let me know, I made it using Expression Web.

I have looked at examples of parsing xml files and have the following code:

Dim m_xmld As New Xml.XmlDocument
        m_xmld.LoadXml(My.Resources.signatures)
 
        Dim start_nodes As Xml.XmlNodeList = m_xmld.GetElementsByTagName("start")
        Dim length_nodes As Xml.XmlNodeList = m_xmld.GetElementsByTagName("length")
        Dim string_nodes As Xml.XmlNodeList = m_xmld.GetElementsByTagName("string")
 
        Dim i As Integer = 0
        Do
            If Read.HexString(CInt(start_nodes(i).Value), CInt(length_nodes(i).Value)) = string_nodes(i).Value Then
' extra code here
i += 1
End If
Loop While i < start_nodes.Count

basically the HexString function will read bytes from my internal buffer starting at "start" and reading "length" bytes. It then returns a string containing the bytes read. If it is equal to "string" then the correct signature is read.

My problem:
I cannot figure out how to know if I am in the "sram" or "vba" node or even which signature I am reading from (so I can get the value of "name" and "editor"). I could count the number of signatures I have read through but they will not be in any concrete order.

Previously, I have used a line delimited text file with each signature on it's own line. Each property was seperated by a "|" character and I would split the line and check the signature like that.

I wanted to instead use xml. Thanks, Troy.

[Mr.No]

Since you've loaded the whole XML into a XmlDocument object why not use XPATH queries to directly read the part you're looking for?

[Troy Lundin]

I has posted an update before your response but it did not show up. Basically I am reading the file and comparing certain byte strings within the file. If they match then the file is good. There is no way to tell exactly which element I am looking for so all the elements (sram and vba) must be checked.

Since my update did not show up I will resolve this thread. Thank you for your help Mr. No.